


Witch Hunt

by ImMyOwnStorm



Series: oihina week 2020 [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, character listed aside from oihina are familiars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22258240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImMyOwnStorm/pseuds/ImMyOwnStorm
Summary: The hunters came at night, there was no warning they just broke down the door and dragged Shouyou from his bed. As he was dragged past the main room, he saw his mother and sister crying, his dad looked disappointed. He still couldn’t tell what was going on as a blindfold was placed over his eyes and he was thrown onto something hard.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru
Series: oihina week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599901
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	Witch Hunt

The hunters came at night, there was no warning they just broke down the door and dragged Shouyou from his bed. As he was dragged past the main room, he saw his mother and sister crying, his dad looked disappointed. He still couldn’t tell what was going on as a blindfold was placed over his eyes and he was thrown onto something hard.

Shouyou laid down as what he guessed was a horse a carriage started to move. He was so confused and he couldn’t breathe, why couldn’t he breathe? Tears started to flow from his eyes as a sob tore its way from his throat. Someone hit the side of the carriage while shouting at him to shut up, so he did, he didn’t want to risk making these people angry.

Shouyou didn’t know how long it was before they stopped, but everyone became quieter, the voices dulled in a way that only distance could provide. So he got to work, he managed to get hold of the small carving blade he kept in his boat for emergencies and cut the ropes binding his hands behind his back. When the ropes no longer restricted his movements he removed the blindfold.

It was still dark out which would make running off easier. He surveyed around him, the carriage was more a wooden box on wheels with only a small window letting light. Shouyou found himself glad for his small stature, surely if he was bigger he would be severely more uncomfortable than he already was. Peaking out the window, he looked over o where the light of a fire illuminated a group of men.

He had to squint to see them clearly, but there were seven that he could see, all dressed in roughly the same clothes. They all had an insignia somewhere on their person, and Shouyou cursed when he recognized it. They were members of the royal court, witch hunters to be exact, it was that thought that brought realisation upon him. They thought him a magic user. This was bad, the king would never listen if he pleaded innocent, if they sent witch hunters after him his fate was already sealed.

But.... Maybe it wasn’t, they had left no guard obviously not thinking he could run, no one had ever escaped them before and it had made them cocky. Shouyou could use this, their food was still cooking so they would be awhile, he had a bit of time before they realised he was gone. Moving slowly to the door Shouyou found he could push it out slightly and grew hopeful, then the rope pulled taught and he couldn’t open the door further. Closing the door fully so he wouldn’t break the carving blade when he stuck it through the crack between the door and the frame, he set to cutting the rope.

It took longer than he was comfortable with, a quick look out the window showed all the men still around the fire, but the food was being served. Shouyou wouldn’t be able to rely on distance any more, he would have to find a hiding spot and wait for the hunters to move on. Slowly he crept out of the carriage, lowering him on his toes first then his heels, he made sure to be as quiet as possible. He made his way to the opposite side of the carriage to the group of men, he waited until there was a thick blanket of trees around him before he started to sprint. Keeping to stepping on rocks a roots to avoid making footprints.

He moved his attention to the tree around him searching for looked unclimbable to people that didn’t spend thirteen of their fifteen years of life climbing. When he found one tall enough he walked up to it, the trunk wasn’t big but it wasn’t small either, it would easily hold his weight. Pulling his scarf from his neck Shouyou tore it into to strips. Wrapping his hands meant,he was less likely to bleed, and it meant the hunters couldn’t track his blood up to where he was p.anning on hiding.

The fist branches were out of reach for an adult, but Shouyou could jump higher then they are taller so getting to them wasn’t a problem. Using the momentum from his jump Shouyou swung forward, he straitened his arm as he begun to swing back, manoeuvring his legs to help his torso becom higher than the branch he grabbed. Once he had both feet planted firmly on the branch he started to climb, the constant movement something second nature to him with a childhood full of playing in the trees surrounding his village.

He stopped when he felt a safe distance from the ground, hidden by branches and the dark. The quiet unnerved him, it allowed him to hear the hunters shouts as they searched fro him, their footfalls uncaring of the ground below. The light of the torches no doubt disturbing the animals trying to rest, Shouyou faintly made out the form of an animal scurrying out of the way as a man ripped through a bush.

The men gathered near his tree, just close enough that he could hear them, that wasn’t to hard though with how loud they were speaking. Did they not understand the concept of stealth?

“Whadda we do, the king’ll have our heads if we don’t return with the boy to be burned,” The confirmed his suspicions, burning at a pyre was a fate reserved only for witches.

“We look harder, he has to be here, and if you can’t find him we’ll force him out,” Shouyou stomach twisted at the look in the man’s eyes.

“And how in the kings name do we do that?” Th leader smiled, fire from the torches making his eyes glint with something evil as he raised it to be level with his head.

“We burn the place down_” he should pay attention to the rest of the conversation, he really should. But he couldn’t, not with a black dragon the size of his palm now resting on the branch before him. Dragons weren’t unheard of, but they were becoming increasingly rare, it was no surprise, considering most of the land feared magic, and dragons were creatures of magic.

But now here one was creeping slowly towards Shouyou, wings spread slightly ready to take off at the first sigh of danger. Shouyou had read a book once, one he was never supposed to have seen, abouta time before magic was something that instilled fear in most. There was a section of the book dedicated to dragons, and he remembered that dragons made judgments on scent. Slowly, as to not scare the creature, Shouyou placed his hand palm up on the branch and waited.

The men had still not left in the few minutes it took the dragon to approach him. Shouyou couldn’t help the smile as the black scaled creature sniffed him. Without warning the dragon sprinted up his arm to his shoulder, where it than sat down, sniffing his hair. He, he wasn’t expecting that. As the magical creature calmed down Shouyou turned his attention back to the hunters.

Shouyou tensed as he watched on lift his torch up, ready to start a fire, when wind suddenly blew strong enough to extinguish every flame. He watched transfixed as a person emerged from the trees, hand help palm facing up, a small blue flame burning from nothing but the magic feeding it. The light was dimmer and a light clue cloak hid the features of the person.

“Did you really think I would stand by as you burnt my forest to the ground?” It was a question, and the person made no attempt to hide the rage creeping into the silky tone. Shouyou refused to put a gender to the person in case they were using magic to alter their voice. He watched amused as the hunters grew fearful, and if he dare say, and he does dare to, the cloth around one of the men’s groin was growing noticeably darker, even in the dim lighting.

The men ran, making no attempt to capture the witch in front of them. Despite realising that he was in the Grand Witch’s forest, Shouyou was oddly calm. The magic user was feared because of how strong their magic was, not for what they had done. While rumours had risen around the kingdom, he refused to believe them, not without proof. Shouyou had never been one to see magic as evil, even be slightly amazed with it, perhaps that was why he was accused of being a witch.

The dragon flew from his shoulder, landing on the witch’s outstretched arm. Shouyou watched as the dragon chittered at the witch, they pulled the hood of the cloak from their head and he felt his breath hitch. He had always been aware they he prefers other guys, a fact he never made know knowing that he would be killed, but never had he reacted to seeing someone like this. The man’s hair was a fluffy mop of brown strands on his head, his eyes kind as he looked at the creature on his arm.

Shouyou almost fell out of the tree when the Grand Witch suddenly looked towards him. He smiled, completely different to the smile the hunter wore, this one soothing, and without words Shouyou knew he wouldn’t be harmed. It was that very reason he started to climb back down.

With his firmly planted on the ground, Shouyou was aware of just how strong the man in front of him was. Even without the special training with hunter had, he could feel the magic flowing from the man. It felt cool but not unbearably cold, like a breeze blowing around him. He was dazed at the feeling, not noticing the man approaching.

He hadn’t known how exhausted he was until the adrenaline left his system fully, the last thing he remembers is hearing a voice but nov coherent words, and the feeling of arms cradling, protecting him.

***

The fist sense to come back to him was his hearing, the chittering of birds waki- wait a second, birds didn’t sound like that. But he has heard that sound before, opening his eyes let him understand two things at once. First off, he was not in his room. Secondly, the Grand Witch was cuddling with, the dragon curled up on the pillow above his head.

He tried to wriggle free, but soon became aware of the fact that the other was not only strong when it came to magic, but also psychically as well. Someone should be allowed to be this strong when they’re asleep, he shift in the pillow made him look up as the dragon started to walk over. Inspecting the limb draped over Shouyou, the magic creature walked so he was facing the back of the witch’s head, disappearing from Shoyous view.

The dragon reappeared in a blur of black scale for a second as it jumped up, there was a light thunk as the dragon connected with the back of the witch’s head. The other yelped at the pain, moving to shield his head from any further attacks, Shouyou took that as an opportunity and darted off the bed.

“I’m not going to hurt you despite what you may believe, I’m not evil-“

“I believe you,” Shouyou interrupted.

“What?” The Grand Witch obviously wasn’t expecting that, he probably thought Shouyou feared magic as well.

“I believe you won’t hurt me,” it was the truth, he didn’t think the other would hurt him, if he was would,t he have done it by now?

“Even though I use magic?” He sounded disbelieving, but also a little hopeful.

“I don’t think magic makes a person bad, and besides if you were going to hurt me you could have done it by now.” Tooru couldn’t believe it, someone who didn’t use magic who wasn’t afraid of it. It seemed near impossible for someone like that to exist. He watched as Iwa-chan flew to the boy’s shoulder, he watched as the ginger pet him without fear or any intent to harm his familiar.

He was interesting, so he continued to watch the boy closely, how he excepted all of his familiars not like they were something to be feared, but something to be loved. He watched as the boy showed an interest in his magic books but never touched them, how the boy showed curiosity in all the magic items around the room. He also loved how Shouyou’s (“my name isn’t Chibi-chan, it’s Hinata Shouyou.”) eyes lit up when Tooru offered to teach him magic a week later.

Tooru was impressed with how well Shouyou picked up magic, when asked Shouyou had told him that magic had always fascinated him, but he had never tried any spells, it still didn’t stop people thinking he was a witch though. Tooru didn’t try to fight the feelings building in him for the boy over the three weeks. He was happy they both were, although Shouyou missed his family he wouldn’t try to go back.

***

Bokuto, Tooru’s owl familiar, came back quiet after a fly two months after Shouyou started living with them. Winter was approaching and Bokuto had gone to look for a couple of plants Tooru needed to stock up on since they didn’t grow during the colder months. When Tooru heard what Bokuto had seen his blood ran cold, the hunters had apparently continued to look for Shouyou and new he was hear, he freaked out when Bokuto had told him they were just under a day away from them.

They didn’t have time to move, not to mention some of Tooru’s familiars were more than a day away. He new what he was going to do, and he had to work fast. Tooru entered the bedroom where Shouyou was reading another book on magic, he looked up and smiled as Tooru walked closer.

He could feel Shouyou’s shock when he kissed him, it wasn’t how he wanted their first kiss to be like, he wasn’t even sure if Shouyou liked guys. His worries faded though when Shouyou leaned in the kiss. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Tooru pulled away, he grabbed Shouyou,s cheeks softly, touching their foreheads together and just looked him in the eyes.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, and saw Shouyou start to open his mouth to question him, but he didn’t stay awake long enough, the spell taking hold. Tooru just stood there crying into ginger hair as he held Shouyou for what would be the last time. He stood up, picking Shouyou up bridal style and walked to the closet, muttering a spell to open the doors before gently placing him down.

Closeing the doors most the way, Tooru walked over to his work bench, finding a clean piece of paper and a quil, he began to write. There was no way he would be able to stop the tears, so he didn’t try. He took a few calming breaths before casting the needed spell, he then walked over to where Iwa-chan had been watching the whole time, the dragon chittered sadly at him once was sat on Tooru’s palm.

“Look after Shouyou for me,” he nudged his forehead against his familiar’s, smiling when the tiny creature nudged back in confirmation. A knock at the door made him rush to hide the black dragon before walking to it, sparing one last glance towards where he his Shouyou. The events that happened next were a blur, the spell worked, the hunters had no clue he wasn’t the real Hinata Shouyou.

A few hours later found Tooru sitting in a cell as he waited for the pyre to be built. Yet he wasn’t sad that he was going to die, he was sad at the fact that he wouldn’t see Shouyou or any of his familiars again. He stared at a puddle created from water that dripped from the ceiling, the face staring back Shouyou’s not his own, and he wept.

It hit then, really hit, he wouldn’t here Shouyou’s laugh, see him smile, watch as he played with the familiars or see the way his eyes would light up when he learnt something new about magic. Tooru wrapped his arms around his body, imagining it was actually Shouyou. He cried himself to sleep, dreaming of being back home with everyone.

The next morning he didn’t give the king the satisfaction of hearing him scream as flames consumed his vision and his body.

***

Shouyou was confused when he woke up in the closet, no memory of ever even walking over to it. When he pushed open the door it was quiet, he called out wondering where Tooru was when he saw the letter on the desk. He cried as he read, the words on the page breaking his heart.

_I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye to you face, but you would have tried to stop me._

_Bokuto came back from collecting herbs earlier,_

_What he told me, it terrified me, the hunters hadn’t given up searching fo you._

_I wasn’t going to watch as they took you away, so I spelled you to sleep_

_and made myself look like you._

_By the time you have woken up it will have been the day after my death,_

_Please look after yourself, and look after my familiars, well I guess_

_They are your familiars now. I know you are strong and will become_

_A great witch, and I know that out of everyone, you have the_

_Chance to change people’s minds._

_I love you_

_-Oikawa Tooru_

He read it over and over, but not once did the words change. Iwa-chan came and sat on his shoulder, his presence grounding. He stayed on his shoulder even as Shouyou crumpled to the floor and screamed in agony. Kuro, a black cat, walked over and sat beside Shouyou’s head, yowling in pain alongside the human a dragon, Bokuto joining not long after.

The four mourned the loss of Tooru well into the night, curled together on the floor as they all passed out.

***

Seven years past, and Shouyou along with his three familiars slowly taught people to not fear magic. The king had not seen any other way and had tried to strike at Shouyou, but the twenty two year old was faster. That was the day the old king fell and magic became part of daily life.

Shouyou sighed when him and the three familiars reached the graveyard, it had been one of the first things he’d done, had a graveyard built for those executed for using magic or being accused of using magic. He kneeled down in front of Tooru’s grave, placing the flowers there, the four never made any sound. They just sat there past sundown, feeling comfort from each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok day three done and posted, I am hoenestly feeling self conscious of my writing after reading how good the others are, but oh well they are all really talented. Feel free to point out mistakes because I don’t have a beta reader.


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